AN PHOBLACHT
Vol.l~ N.23. Jan.1966
THE FIST THAT WILL SAVE
THE NATION ONE OF THE BETT ER FE~TU~ES co-operative control by the of a Sinn Fein Ard Fheis is that work~rs of the machinery of pro it is an oc casion on wh ich the d u cJ,.i on ; · i n t h e a b s e n c e o f s u c h leaders of the Republican l'tlovement control we have nough t but State are practically forced to voice Capitalism' " openly their opinions on social, political and economic matters . TO BECIN , CONNOLL Y WROTE: This affords people like ourselves "State ownership and control is the opportunity to assess changes, not necessari.ty socialism . . . but if any, in the th inkin g of the the ownership by the state of all leadership, and thereby reevaluat a t h e l an d a n d ma· i: e r i a 1 s f o r 1 a b o u r , our own position vis - a - vis the combined with the co - operative Republican .>1ovement. control by the workers of such land and materials wouldbesocial THIS YEAR ' S PRESIDENTIAL ism." By. omitting the fundamental Add ress touches on matters of pol necess1t y , _2tat_g ownership, fh. itical, economic and historic con Gill has placed an entirely diff tent . Ther~fore it offers a rare erent meaning on ~Q - operative opportunity to appraise the intel f.Q.Cl.liQl· lectual level of the men who are considered the elite of the Move THE LAND CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM ment . In all probability Tom Cill , being sponsored by Sinn Fein, is as President of Sinn Fa i n, had a similar to that which was advocated maJOr say in the wording of the by Horace Plunkett and associates statement he read to the Convent during the early years of the pre ion. However, it would be unfair sent centur y , and which entailed to bl~m~ him entirelv for its the collective manaqement of a contents, because it u~doubtingly group OF private holdings . It is, pas~ed the scrutiny o F his assoc or should be, very obvious to all iates before being presented . that this is entirely different to a land co-operative Lvhere the own CONNOLLY MISQUOTED . ership of the land is ves ted in the state, and its control and ALL -OUR R(ADERS SHOULD 3[ AIJJARE managem8:_nt vested in the community by now that the Sinn '"'. Fe·in ".ec ono working ii:. mists " consider· it practical to salvage our chaotic economic pos f~ MR . CIL( IS WELL VERSED IN ition by developing a co - operative the writings oF James Connolly - system oF land ma~agemert in areas which Lv e doubt very much -- he may of . ~Jl.I,Uc-,Y ield; and by_ .encouraging arque Ythat Connolly looked with the ···rgrowth oF credit unions and faCour ' 6n· the co - operative act iv by establishing a state banking ities ofPlunkett . Yes! But things syst8m so as to make available must be retained in proper context cheap credit for both industrial if we are to ascertain their true and agricultural development . meaning . Connolly considered the There .is nothing new in this idea; Plunkett co-opera ti.ve -~ ;-scheme a ;i.ts- oJ!•i~i:nal source can be eas~ly positive contribution,in that its _t r a c e.d\ -· However , •JJ e 'JJ i 11 pass it funct~oninq could ve r y wellawaken for. •the moment to first challerge the farming community to the Mr. Cill on his unscrupulous man benefits of community ownership ir, ipulation of the writings of the Marx ian sense, and thereby Jam e s. C.o n r10 11, y t o g i v e a r e v o l ut - pave the way to an acceptance of ionary · base t6 Sinn Fein's co - op socialism -~ ~nd let u s not for policy . get that Jam e s Con no 11 y was a self proclaimed Marxist . However,it WHEN EXPOUNDI NG ON SINN FEIN'S was one thing For Connolly, the latest fad, Mr. Gill remarked: socialis t , to look with Favour on "Many people t·Hi'h"'K1 that they have the co - operative schemes of an n o c h o i c e but t o .su ·p p o r t an u n c h r - apolitical movement ; it would be is t i an capita 1 i st and in d i v id u a l a different matter to expect his ist s ystem or t6 support an anti approval were the same scheme religious . materialist and commun - forwarded as a panacea For our ist system. The alternative is economic ills by a political mov co-operativism as ~ preached by ement styling itself revolutionary. Jame s Connolly -- t~~t is co - op~r ative control of the means of N0 , f~R . C ILL , YOU CAN N0 T production , distribution and exch wangle a blessing Fo r Sinn Fein's ange." He went on to claim that co - operative schemes from the ... "C onnolly said 'Soc ialism i mplies writiny s ofJarnes Connolly;unless, 2 . of course, you misquote . On the Yes indeed, but the r e are so many other hand, should you desire a n conflict ing in te rpre tations on understandino oF what Connol ly what constitutes re volution . Fo r considered state Ocvnership in c;orc tunately , an additional gem of bination with the co- ope ra tive wisdom affords an opportunity t .o control by the workers --a nd note assess Lne advances made by the the term IJjORK ERS -- you should look .Sinn Fein leadership in their und into both the aqr i c u ltural and ~rstandino oF the rev olut ionar y industrial systems~as - fuoctiooing p r ocess . fhe Presidential Add ress in a so2ialis t c ountry . --We app co.ntinues: "This i s th e age of reciate , of course, that an y sys freedom ... The wo rk oF the Amer ican t em adopted in I reland wi ll have and French Re volutionaries are to be dic tat ed by I rish conditions . today bearing Frui t. .. . " But, an examination of a count ry DID THE COMPOSER OF THE SE LI NES su:h as China for insta nce will know what in the hell he was at leas t give a n opportunity to writina ; did Tom Gill know what understand wh a t Conn ol l y ha d in he was -saying, when he r ead these mind . lines to · th e Convention? The THE TROUBLE WIT H SINN FEI N· American and French Revolut ions, is that its leaders have, in s ome in conju nction with the Cromwell degree, come to appreciate the i an r evo luti on , repr e sent t he capitaliat conten t oF their org origins of bourgeois democracy, anization's economic policies that 1.vh i ch in turn represen t the Found we re. i nher i ted f r oniGriffitn . Th e y ation stones of modern capitalism hav e a vag ue i de a that these are and imperialism . Consequently, bad ;bu t t ~ e y actually do not know th e l eg itimate heirs of the re0 - yet why this is s o . On the othe r olutionary motivation oF the Fore hand , they view s oc i a lism through going a re thepresent - day capital bourgeois spectacles,so that they ists and imperialists . We will f ind i t difficult to accept the aoree that th e bourgeois revolu economic tenets of socialism as t Ions a re s t ill "bear in g F ru i t . " an altern ~ tive to their old poli Imperialist aggression all over cies. Still, they cannot c on demn th e wo rld,and ca p italist exp loi t s ocialism outright; obvio~sl y it ation in general, attest to that . has achieved a l ot of good iri many But '.VB doubt that this is actually a reas . Henc e the pe r plex ity ~hich what Mr . Cill , or the Sinn Fa in Mr . Gill endeavours to s o l ve by moquls , had in mind. In their saying "'[ommunism ... as ithas mar, in~ocence a nd i o noran ce o f the i fa sted i t se lf in manv countries essence oF r evolufion the ~ simply .. . is not an ideology whi c h would put their Foot in it; ~ompletely comm end itselF to th e Irish people." unaware t hat , to an yone with even The ambiguity of this statement is a smat~ering of knowledge on the apparent . Is he issuing a blanket r evolut ionar y process, they were condemnation of commun i sm? Or, is making comp iete idiots of them he merely condemning that which selves . manifests itself inmanv socialist MO DERN REVOLUTION, WHICH FOR count r ies, as distinct From all p r actica l purpo ses isusuallv con socialist countries? Fran kly, ~ we sidered to encompass a ll progress don ' t k nD lu . i ve re volut ion a r y upheavals since TH E SAME PERPLEXIT Y IS EVIN CED the Paris Commune of 18 7 1, poss in ~1r. Gill ' s conten t ion that Sinn esses a completely di~Ferent base Fain wants nei ther capitalism nor than did the American o r French socialism. They des ire something Revolutions . Today ,· a l l prog res s s u spended between both ; th e y want ive r evo l utions a re socialist in economic i n-betweenism, a nd they content ; that is to say, regard are endea vou ring to use James less of whether or not soci~list Connolly as a basis for this theories e xe rt an influence on a utopian concept. In realityf the present - day revolution at its out economic polic y nouJ be i ng p romoted set, they will inevitabl y become by Sinn Fein is immeasurably rem the dominatina infl uence due to oved from any stand James Connnlly the na tu re of- forces which will ever took , It is not hi ng mo re invariably oppose the progress of than a biz a rre mixture of re - ha shed the revolution. In other words, Proudhonism and the Socia l Credit a present - day revolu ti on ne ed not theories oF ma jor C. H. Oouola s . necessarily be initiated by doct And since history s tands a; t he rinaire socialists to become a best judge on both of t he se isms, s oc ialist revolution . The predic we ha 0e not intent ion now of tabl e capitalist opposition to the wastino any further space to sh ow revolution '.Vill di re ct it towards up th ei r absurdities. a s cialist orientation, and i f it s to a dvanc e, then, the rev I ~ TE RPRETINC REVOLUTION . olu .ion its lF wil l in fac t cr e ate "WE MUST FACl UP TO THE i t s o wn d o c r i n a i r e s o c i a l i s t s. fa c t that we are a revo lutionar y THE INN FE I N BRAINS - TRUST orgaf"'i sa t ion . . say s i'r!r . Cill·. · __rnay attemp 3 to counteract this rather simplified analysis of a and had won, rather than have very complex process, by sayin_,g endured ouhat it did to gain that the Irish Revolution of 1916-22 pittance of Freedom it received . wa~ not socialist. true . But neithBr wa~ it 5Uccessful . The EXPLOITINC SOCIALIST IDEAS. harsh ~ruth is that des~ite the ---__- A- PERUSAL OF THE PR-ESIDENTIAL heroism shown by I.R.!-1. combatants Statemint as ~ whole cannot Fail in thewar against vastly su-perior b.ut convinc·e one that Sinn rein is forces, and despite the fac~ that living in a little world of its the I . R.A. initiated many ~t the own. Not alone are its- ideas Oil tactical elements of revolutionary_ revolution outdated b y at least a guerilla warfare ,the predominant century and a half,but all of its political influence within the evaluations are based on subjective revolutiona1y movement was react rather than objective interpreta ionary . This is readily manifest tions of existinq conditions. The b y the turn of events in 1922; and Address is, of course, ideally in what happened afterwards . suited to draw cheers from the floor of the Convention, with its STILL, DESPITE ALL Or THIS usual collection of cliches on there is also evidence that by freedom, the rights of man, even 1922 the actual pressures of the a harsh wor~ here and there for Irish strug~le were forging a _ the capitalis t ,and a bit of back s o c i a 1 i s t c on s c i ou s n e s s i n a s ma l l handed praise for socialism. A activist nucleus. And had .the good mixed brew that is ensured struggle been more protracted, it not to offend t he -~ensibilities is at least conceivable that this of any but the downright West element would eventually have Briton . exerted itself to direct the rev olution along a more pro~tessive THIS TREND OF CIVINC A SOCIALIST path . Ob,Jiously, all of this is -Flavour to its policies is new for purely speculative. But ke_ep in Sinn rein . The whole affair is mind also that the Irish struggle quite harmless of course,but still of that - period was very short the Sinn reiners no doubt think it indeed when compared to contempory the height of prQgress to mention s t rug g 1 e s for n at ion a l . l i be rat ion. such a Luord as "Communist_" before Consequently,many of the contrad the faithful; it shows how broad ictions inherent · in the revolut minded they have become. Howe'Jer, ionary move men t LIJ ere not resolve d. the progressi ve minded Republicans throughout the country should be IT IS PARADOXICAL PERHAPS,SUT _IT wary of this venture into a soc could well be that had- Ireland ialist vocabulary on the part of suffered more and for a longer Sinn Fein, and not be lead- to p e r i o d d u-r in q t h a t e r a w e c a ll t.h e believe that it implies a chahge TAN l!JAR, it -may in the long run of heart or their part. Judge have suffered less . B~caus~, had them by their actions and not by a condition of social, political their words; it is always safer. and economic turmoil, comparable During t~B - latter years of the say to that experienced in Algeria, last century Connolly had this to _occurred in freland at that time, say about th-eUnited Irish L'e'ague, the limitations of . Sinn rein's which at the time was . ihdulging bourgeois and petty ~ bourgeois in the use of some _ r ad Lea l p·h rases policies would have been exposed a n d i n a ma n n e r v e r:y s -i mi l a r - t o For what they were, as would thB the present - day Sinn rsin~rs : Sin~ Feine~s. But the struggle "So far our United -Irish league' was not suffi~iently intense to agitators are borrowing the argu resolve this teaction . Hence, we m~nts of ·the sociilists to s~it have had over 40 years of mis their own purposes;but they, with management in Ireland that is the charatteristic class selfishness, direct outcome of the rea~tionary stop short at the applicat i on politic~ which governed the Iri~h -t h ·e r e o" f . " struggl~ b~tween 1917 - 22. Look at all the suffering both direct and HOW TRUE? WORDS ARE EASY indirect which this has incurred? enough to employ;and s~fe~ by f~i than deeds. Sinn- rein truly -~nd the hard fact still prevails IF t h at t h e I r i s h R e v 6 l u t .i o n s t i ll desires to embark on a revolutio~ remains .to be consumated; the arv road, then let us see some contradictions and political re a~tion in that direction. Let action uJhichdestroyed theprevious ~hem dispense with the flowery effort still remair"J to be resol'ded; phrases and proceed with the work and this will undoubtingly demand in a p r a gm a t i c c n d h on e s t F a s h i on. further sacrifice andsuffering on When that da y appears,this little the p3rt of the people . So it can pa p er will ha v e done its work. It 1.\Jill then - be siJ. enL be seen why we ~a v it ma have been better ir the nat on had * suffered more du ri no the ,o. ~J 'J! .Cl. R THE EDlTOR'S- ' POST BAG
THE FOLLOWING IS A FAIR AT PRESENT OUR PAPER HAS cross - section of the letters we only a limited circulation. There have received sincebeginning pub fore, it just breaks the surrace lication . in its attempt to expose the * * stupidity, the ignorance and the THE IRISH WOR~RS PARTY. downright reaction that prevails within the ranks of organized Rep ADVICE RECEIVED FROM ONE OF ublicanism, and other self - styled the .K remlin's boys . revolutio~ar y groups . But give.Ds . .. "P..s an Irish Republican (inter a little more time tomobilize the nee 1940 ' s) and a Communist, I am resources necessary to expand writing to you to express mi ind operations, and we ' ll tell the ignation with regard to your pub people in qeneral all about the lication . Not since the so - called Sawdust - Cas~sars and little Tin Catholic paper "The Standard" Cod~ that have methodicall y des attacked the Communist ~arty some troyed the effectiveness oF the years ago have I read such critic Irish revolutionar y effort over the ism of the part y of the Irish years, so as to reduce it to a t,1Jorking Class. size which they could manage . MY ADVICE TO YOU IS TO CEASE These individuals haven't qot the publicatio~as there- are too many intelligence of a mentall y retarded papers in ireland seeking to put Flea; and their handiwork is the forward progressive views today. best evidence of this . Neither my cdmrades nor myself think th~t Republican differences POOR OLD FRANCO. should be aired publicly, as it can only profit the enemies of the THE FASCISTS ARE ALSC HOWLING. cause." Our comments on foreign events in our first issue brought a stack: of * * letters in defence of Franco . It THIS GREAT CONCERN FOR THE 'AlEl .S difficult tomake sense out of Republican Movement, which has most of them; but we did get the lately taken hold of the I . w.P . , message -- there are a lot of BLUE is amazing . A Few yea rs back they SHIRTS around yet , and they are viewed Republicans as a bunch of as thick as e ve r. Here is an degenerate petty bourgeois nation - extract from one letter: alists . Of course 1.11e are well "AS fH,J .liROENT ADIY!IRER CJF GEN. aware of the reasons for this Franc o , the saviour of Europe change of heart, but we ' ll let it against Communism, the man whose pass for the time being . cause was obstructed by both de AS TO HELPING THE ENEMIES OF Valera and 2ritain at the same the cause by airing the differences time;whose armies were opposed by which have rent the revolutionary .. . (A) handful oF so - called Irish front asunder : we wculd pain'.: out Republicans linked with the ranks that our paper is only ci r culated of the British Tommies in the Int amongst members of organizations ernational Srigades ... I was dis ap~ointed or g roup s s t y l in g the !11 se tv e s "Rep in the organ styling ublican", or "Proaressive . " In itselF AN PHOBLACHT ..• R~d-RGssia any event, since -ihe real enemies would be delighted with your cor of our cause are already well respondent's vapourings on Spain. awa~oF the inner conflicts, and . .. The Spaniards can look aFter their sources, it is difficult to their present-day interests them understand how harm could be done selves without Irishmen --- and I by giving a public opinion on the hope their allegiance (I rishmen? ) reasons why the situation is as is to Ireland and not to the Com intern . " it is 0 ONLY THE GENERAL PUBLIC * would be enlightened by airing WELL , IT TAKES ALL kiNDS T~ openly the causes of Republican make a world. Hc·wev er, for our ism's present dilapidated state . money Franco never was any good, Then, perhaps, the Irish people and never will beany good. History would really appreciate why the condemns him as. a mass murderer,a movement has degenerated to the racist, a Fascist, and a dictator who has exploited religi on to decree it has. But no! Our half further his crus~de against poli assed revolutionaries would rather tical freedom, eco omic democracy, keep the cnuses of all the dissent and human diqnitv n oensral. IF ion over tJJ e _past f e IJJ decades b s t - our readers- do~' already know Lueen themselves end the "Cast le ". cuhat Franco lS,and. what h~ stands party , think it would b e• more for . th'eire iS little ch-anc~ that bus ~ ness~l1ke to start · getting a ',IJ8 ~an enl iohten them' in a CO\jple rre'uJ . a rm y 1 tOg8'thet and ·' f-iave a crack of lines of-type. · at the bastards across theborder ." WE WOULD ONLY LIKE TO ADD THAT Eo in Ma c C. th~ articles on Foreign revolut * ionary events have bee~ omitted d u e t o l a c k o f s p a c e . liJ e a n t i c i p - THE GREAT TRO UBLE WITH MOST ated this . but thouoht it best to ohysical force men is that their make our. g eneral position clear conce;pt of politics is usua lly ve r y so that everyone knew where we limited. Ce~erally, politics and stood in relation to the revolut parliamentarianism are synonomous ionary strugglss a round t'leworld . t o thei r minds. This viec~ is , of ------~ ---. ------course, erroneGus . .:3_ CHANC£ .Q£.. PAI£ . REVOl'UTION IS YET ANOTHER "YOUR V1.EWS ON THE RE0U8LICAN form of political action~since it Moveme nt are hard-hitting . . . entails the overthrow of one syst em of gbvernment,and its replace~ ~hink they will in the next few ment by another . To achieve this ~' >::ars bring about i:heit Oi>Jn down fall . At present they don't know revolutionaries have to posses an whether they are goinq or cominq. armed force and apolitical forc-e. 'Should we recognise fhe courts~' In simple terms; the armed force 'Should we enter leinst2r House is the batterinq ram which will or not? ' This iG all they talk reduce the en~my to political about latel y ." · rubble; the politica l force will IN MUNSTER THEY THINK IT serve as the guiding hand in this p r o g re s s i v e t o mo v 8 i n o n l 9 16 / l 9 6 6 job, :::~nd L~ill assume the reins of Cb~~~moration committees even if state power when the task is com it means rubbing shoulders -with pleted, and continue to guide the F.F . and F . C . traitors. Don't labour of reconstruction which suy .anything against the Labour must inevitably follow. Party they tell yOu; after a1l , THE MAN WHO SAYS THAT ~idn't Mac Aonqhu~a their Vice . the Iriah revolution can su~ceed Chai~man agree-to speak on a Rep- · u1 i t h o u t t h e p r i or e s t ab l ish men t o f ublican platform in ~aterford . .. . a revolutionary political organ Keep up the good work la~s ...... iz.ation to guide it, is as stupid Enclosed you will Find 10/- for as hs who claims it can be realized the _Funds•" wit h o u t r e sort in g t o armed s t rug g le. * . THE CRUCIAL POINT . WHICH THE ONLY COMmENT WE WOU~D must be understood is that physical ITra k e on t h is let t er , is t hat the force is but the means to an end. Republican movement, and For that It might well be that a purely m21U.er the Free State and Stormont, physical force movement could free will never Fall down on their own. Ireland. But what then? With no ~o matter how rotten they get. pre-established political . author they have to get a push. So,it's it y to guide it the · whole affair o f l i t t l e u s 8 s a y i n '] " k e e p u p t h e would either fall pre y to inter good work" to us;if you think we movement disputes on what should a:s in any way rioht, then you or should not · be done, or, into should be in there ~JIJrk inq with us, t he hand s o f c a r e e r i s t p o l it i c i an s. he'ping us to give thaf little And there are always plenty of pus'l that uJill topple the R . IYi . ;so them around to avail of any pres as to clear the around to take on ented opportunity . the Free State an-d the other crocv d. . IT IS, OF COURSE, OBVILUS that the inter-organizational rElationship between thE political : H£.I.2 ~ £:.BIB. Qu I2 _Il_ 0 !\! . and military bodies in a truly "RECENTL 'i I OBTAHJE:J A COPY CF revolutionary movement cannot be b ·J t i1 issues oF .1\ N PH 0 8 LAC HT . ha v - the same as that existing within ing read them I will say that at the Repub lic a n Move ment . However, least they make a feliow think, to deal with this matter would an c: t ha t ' s a c ha no e ...... ~ d on' t require at least one or two arti knew yet whether f agree with y ou cles;and we s~~ll try to fit this or not,but maybe you could answer into the next issue. on2 question For me if you have t h e timR. Beinq a beli~ver in ~hysical for~e, - I have a great WHE N YOU HAVE READ AN PHDBLACHT suspicion of political parties . WHY NOT DASS IT ON TO A FRIEND, Gv er the years I have seen too AND HELP PROPAGATE THE IDEAS OF many sell - o~ts engineered by ~cil RE VO LUTIONARY IRELAND. iticians . . .. . I -uJould like to kn!Jw wh2t ~ou mean when y o sa y that a new evolutionary pol tical rt y s h ou d be formed .. . . or mvs F I c a r ' se E'-'Jhe :-e e112 nc: e apol ~ cal THE SECOND ACT OF UNfONJ 0, the land is sold for Cerman gold , And English sovereigns too, BY But LIJe 'l l live like kings on tax and things, And Fi~nna Fail Ballyhoo. AODH MAcELROY * * *
rnR. LE~lASS, IF PERfYIITTED TC the mass production areas . Irish proceed unimpeded,will put an end capitalists, whose loya lty is to to partition. However, bold Sean their bank balance and not to the is not about to achieve his objects nation , will take the price of by way of the re 1JOlutionary destr betrayal and invest it in areas uction of the last vestioes of that will provide greater profit imperialist rule in the l~ria . Mr . rotur~s than can be obtained in Lemass has a different plan; he developing Irish industry. will remove the border by a re THE END RESULT OF THE enactment of the ACT OF UNION . Free Trade agreem~nt will be to l~i THE ACT c;::- Ui\IICI\J GF 1800 turn Ireland into an agricultural Britain,frightened at the thought hinte rland to supply meat and of a Eelf - supportinq Ireland , del dairy products for English tables iberately set out t·o destroy th:e while Iris.h workers anrJ Farmers go limited amount of eibnomic indep~ hungry . The concentration of ever endence we then eiTJOyed . Th~ Act greater tracts of Irish lands in . ensured that Ireland would remain fewer~-and alien--hands will rec we a k. a n d e c on o mi c a ll y u n d e v e l o p e d ; eive considerable impetus as the · a source of cheap food,cheap· lab agr~ement beqi~s to t~ke Full our and a s ource of manpower for effect. . The- Irish will become timesofwar andpeace. The system· landless and wo r kless;soon to be - . of imperialist r0le brought · us come hom2less and doomed to flee faminA , unemploymsnt, mass cmig the land in search oF life ' s nec ra·t ion and left us a weak and dep essities. Lnce again Dark Rosal en.dent colony . een 1 s exports Lvill be the children PARTITION AND THE ESTA3LISHME NT she bears. of the Free State made little HALF OF IRELAND'S change in the pattern of affairs . agricultural lands are already The continued decline of populat a l i en a t e d f r o m h er p e o p l e Lui .t h t h e ion is sufficient proof that this leas t economical units falling to is so . We secured the shadow, but the lot of Irish farmers -- and the little of the substance of freedom . trend continues in the same direc Now the Irish ruling class is pre tion with increa~i ng momentum . A paring to dispel even the shadow British rubber compar,y,tak i ng note - the advent of Free Trade will mean oF a resurgence of Malaya's Fight no eFFective difference b etween for national liberation,has liqu the Free State and the 6 Counties . idated its Malavan rubber inter The 6 Counties , aft~r all, also ests, and is b~rgaining Fo r th e have their local parliament and purchase of a 300 acre island in ENJOY the blessing o~ massive Waterford's river Suir . (The cur emigration. rent o~mer is an Italian Prince). LIMITED REPC~TS FILTERING The brave men who took a shot at down fromabove indicate that Lam the British torpedo boat in Wat ass, following numerous pilgrim erford Harbour would be well adv ages to the flesh - pots of London, ised to give someconsideration to has already reached an agreement the idea of making life somewhat to mortgage Ireland to England's less tranouil for those who are imperialist eAploiters . The Irish buyinq up ·Wate rford land . rulino class, with thei r pawn - THE SUGGESTION THAT OPEN br6kei'~ souls, are ready and ports and closer union with England willing to betray the nation for will lead to prosperity is a tale a price. The meaqre natural res that will be believed only by ources of Ireland-will be placed those who still have faith in at the disposal of the Enolish and fairies. The Federation of Irish American Anglo - Saxon rul~rs of the Industries expressed g r ave doubts Western world, and what little on th~ matter and l is ted some of in d us try wa ha v e. man a q e d t o d e 'V - tt1e bad effects the agreement would elop over the past fe~ years ~ill ha v e on Ireland's economy . They be soon wiped out by massive com contended Free Trade would mean petition from thecheap i~ 1po r ts of stiffer competition for home ind - 7 ustr~es .. w th Jh,e fl)Ost .. seri~L\-S _eff,: peve;- a s[JoL.be.-J.ng fl.rep,, .Lemass ·e c~ - c'omi g;Alt ll,_e ~ 1 9~0. 1 ~e hJJT~ lhiu::: aGhl , BVB~ -aiuty -~l:'e-i'l· 0[ Ne ill ma~ket ' ad expO'r.ts would ;exp'and Gnder ·--tno'land·, .. ~;' prut'e'c t :ioh and "more slow y after 1970, and there ,)artition~ •JJill be ·ended in the new would be a fall in employment in Aet · of Union , manufactu!c,iDfg industry u1ith a con THE ONES SLATED TO REAP sequent sh~~~ rise in emigration. the major benefits from this shady Any benef't"ts that might accrue to deal (after the London financiers agriculture could not possibly re:. take the cream off the top) will verse the trend of declining em - be the unionist block of imperial ,·,royment:;in industr_y,. -l ,-·: .:· ist henchmen who, by 'Oittue of rr· ANYONE-' IS TN D0U3T their firmalliancewiththe imper a s .. t o · IAJ ha t • F r e·e T r 8 d e h o l d s in ialist bourgeoisie, >JJill be tran store For us, let them look about sferred into the majority bourge in the land, there are plenty ·of ois g r oup in the landi and will examples to be studied. Look to the give the nationalist . bo~fgeoisie 6 Counties that have neve r had their come - uppehce for h~ving had anything but close union with Eng the audacity to think they could land. What has this union brou~ht rule independBntl~ on their bwn other than unemployment , misery behalf. But there is little to be and ~ea r tache? When Enoland in oained on talking to thi~ brand uJart ime had need of the hard labour ~f traitors who will ri~k-their and military support oF the 6 destruction , and take the nation Cou·nties popu~ation there luas uwrk down with them in th~ir ~~d ~~es t and promises aplenty . 3ut with for · wealth and pDwet. . ~he P~ssing of England's hour oF . IS IRELAND TC BE REDUCED trial there was no further need · to to· the· status of playg.round for a cat:et" ·to the peo-ple of the 6 Coun - dissolute band of wealthy parasit tiei - ~England's ruling · class . e S i 1 i t tl 8 0 e t t e r·- t h an a b T 0 l h e l -we~t off in ~ se~rch of mo re prof- to satisfy the lust · cif a mid :.-'huen -- Hable markets to explBit; and tieth century ed.'ition Of the Rakes Ulster workers •..uere condemned · to 0 f ff1 a l 1 0 W 7 0 r W ill {j(J r l a n d fn 0 V 8 -b i t t El r- Ye a r s of . u ne mp l oy men t- or in the direct ion of real UNITY and ··· 't . o .: Ei m i g r. a t e · in s ea r· c fi o f . w a r k ·. c in TRUE FREEbOrn, walking in d ign·i t y -f:otsion lands . IAJith . the main .· sec"" and with head high amongst all the tions-oF- i ndustry- arid ··the .-banks nations of the earth-? · · in foreign hands · the 6 ·County . ur~DER LEMASS AND THE TR ISH Government has no conttol over capitalists, who are: -partners in in0estment and the export of cap - ..a c on s p i r a c y_ u; i th· · -. ·s.t ·ci_r mo itt a n d ital ( tha same is true .of the Free the English imperialists, Ireland 'Stcil~). Capital is exported at a and her people ·can '"only "look For · conatantly incr~asing rat~ • and ward to .·a :ruture that is bleak and \il hat . 1 it tle 1 O'c·a 1 in dust r y there pre-gnant with disaster. It is time .is · operates;or cea~es - to operate, Irishmen awoke to the realization at ~ ~he-absolute · discretion~f for7 that we can no -longer affotd the : eign cap.italists u1hose only motive luxury of a class oF parasites wh:J is · maximum profit.. make a career out of betraying the THE FRE~ S~ATE AREA IS nation and selling thepeople into ·not lacking in experience in these ·bandage . - _matters itself . English owned IRELAND WIL L NOT REALIZE . retail chain stores have establi unity in freedom until the "men of shed a firm foothold in recent no property," the heirs of those vears, and will certainly expand operations under the Free Trade who fouoht with Hope , McCracken, agreement . Ope ra ting on a central Tone a n3 Emmet ,wit h Pearse, Conn buying system there will be a ten olly and Clark,the working people dency, with Irish protection rem of Irish town and countryside, oved, for these chains to carry rise up and drive the traitors and only the sa·-ne lines as the .~ritish exoloiters from our soil and give outlets, resultinq in the elimin ba~k the land to the common people ation of Irish pr~ducts even when whose land it is by right . these products are fully compet WITH ALL THE STORM CLOUDS itive, as to price and quality, that are darkening the horizon with similar English goods . There I rela nd is now,more than ever bef will be an additional hazard due ore.in dire need of a revolution to the well known fact that these ary. party that will lead the people chain stores ownmanufacturing and in an unrelenting struggle to packaging operations whos e lines change the planned course of events they will be anxious to push . A From a direction that spells dis bleak p rospec t indeed For the aster for the nation, to one that future of Ireland. What Lemass le ads to freedom from foreign rule is doing under the banner of Free and exploitation. While the pot Trade is leading Ireland back ential for su ch an organization along the road to England 's re undoubtedly exists it cannot tru conquest of Ireland; and with thfull y be said that it is now in 8 . being,or _that t~~ outlook~for the "il PROGRESSIVE CDVERN ~1 ENT" immediate future is . ALalircisy. says the Ir.~sh Wo rker's Part y ," s THE CROUPS NQW IN needed to carr y out a progJ;amme n existence that make pretensions · of the Twenty - six CO~nties which beino revolutionar y are anvthino ~ould lay the basis for a united, but fhat in Fact, and are ~~re of independen t Ireland . " a hindrance _ ihan a help to the THE COMMUNIST PARTY NORTHERN ·· d·e v el opmer'rt:-nf- a re\1 ol-tJ tivna r ·ypar Ireland is not to be outdon e in ·· -ty"-·-an·d: t·rie : -e~a-bD-ration --of- ·a r-ev the e>
SINI"1 FEIN AND THE LABOUR PARTY
THE "PR :=,CRESSIVES" U~ THE last, "if it combines ir1 a un.ited Sinn Fein leadership, who failed front with the Republicans and the to swin g the extraordinary Ard left it may cuin the honour of est Fheis in June behind the rnotion to ablishing the r,ew Ireland-" Of enter into Free State politics, course, our Red advisers in Lond are presently holding Fast , wait on do not think that this new in ;:] for .their next break . lt Luoul.j Ireland should be sought through appear that most cf them we re Ih8USe of force . Uh no! It must sorrj to see Caughey go From the be achieved through parliamentary partf when he did : the y Felt he means -- the reasonable man's way. had jumped the gun as it were . The winning of a few seats in Sto rmont and Leinster House will do STILL, DESPITE THE TEmPORARY the trick. "T his will be done," lull i n the overt activities of tha 0-<'-rnocrat tells us, "and then the "Progr.essive n clique,it is . by the people will be fighting British · no means difficult to chart the imperialism on th8 terms of the trend in their covert operations . late twentieth century, and not This cult of mutual admir~tion tr y ino to repeat in stereotype that h~s lately sprung up between the e~periences of 1912 - 22 . " the La bo ur Party and Sinn Fein,is bhe indication of the way th~ : wind WHAT ALL OF THIS AMGUNTS TO IS is blo~ing . No doujt a~out it, plair, enough. The ''P rogr essive" thBrB are oreat hopes of a Future Sinn Feiners, and their counter Sinn Fein : Labour alliance in parts in the Labour Party, view Leinster House. the ever increasing rightwards SIJJing of Fianna Fail as presenting TO ~REPARE THE SHEEP FOR SUCH an opportunity fo r the emergence an eventuality, the Labour Party of a new bou r geois left in Free has , for some time ·r,OtJJ , received State politics. By Forming aUnit favourabl~ and ever increasing ed Fror1t both groups have hopes of coveraoe in the pac:)es of the Unit captur i ng the leadership of this ed Iri~ h man . Did an y of you e ver new left; an achievement neither stop to ~onder why this was so? apparently considers possiblewere Ye s indeed ,e v en Mr. Tom Cill per they to op e rate alone. As for the ceiiJes "a necv awareness by the parliamentary communists:they are Labour Pa r ty of the dominant pos endeavouring to get on the band ition of Britain in th~ 26 County wagon earl y ; after all, this sort economy." 1\Jow isn ' t that amazing. of " revolutionary action" is right After 43 years ser vic e as the down their alley. bourgeois labour faction in Lein ster House , our so - called labour REPUBLICANS CAN'T SAY THEY leaders suddenly disco,;er that the we re not warned of this typical place is nothing but a clearing bourgeois political intrigue that house For the interests of 3r i tish is beinq carried on behind their Capitalism . backs. it 's only a matter of time before the issue of entering Free TH E SII\HJ FEINERS 1-\NDP!l.R LBMU-iTAiiY State pol itics will aoain come to communists see this new Labour the Fore in Sinn Fein;and when it Party position as a great break ~oes . vou can be sure that the through; an event of g rea t re0ol "Progressive clique" ,Mill be bett er u ti on a r y p o t eh t i a l. " L a b o u r n o r t h p r e p a r e d t ha n t h e y we r e 1 a s t J u n e. and sou th has . a great opportunit y to be1=ome a great part y ;" says th e IRISH DE MO CRAr of Novembe r PADD Y iYIAC . ll. T H.E 1\J EEO FOR RE VOLUTIONA R:·y LEAO ERSH I P
THE PAS) YEAR HAS SEEN a battle. No sir ! Our Republican a tremendous rise in the level Movement wanted the Free State -of social and economic discontent . Government to pay an English thro~ghout the country. There can robber - baron for the property that be little ·doubt but that the stru- was STOLEN IN THE FIRST PLACE FROm ' cture of the bogus national state THE IRISH PEOPLE, so that they, established in 1922 is beginning the Irish people of Midleton,could to-creak·~nder the strains of its· coiTtihue to liv~ uh6er · re~son~ble neo - colonial committments. How - conditions on .w .ha.t is ,ths.i.rs . ev 8 E.:~ : ;· . fi:Eiiv o·fl.J~:t!i on a·r'v ;~fl;e p'u b l i cans J .__ by r-i,g{li;. . :~/·f.\ ~ d - ~ tf:lio s:~ / ! P9i!it ~ea l shoul\d-~rioti b~ ! 't.iib h'ast:y'-Tn··-their basta\r8s cali ttr·~ms'elves ··revolut - assessments of the situation . ionaries ''' There exists discontent , both WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CASE OF cons c i.o.u.s:.. .a n.d.:._un conscious , with the I~T.A.? Here was a small, but the Fr~e S~ate government's man militant, body oF Post Office agement of Irish affairs;but this workers who moved into b~ttle is Far remo ve d from beinq revolu- against both reactionar y trade .. . tionary in' i ts content . - unionism and the Free State Cover- IF A TRULY REVOLU.TlOJ\LARY . nment which brought out its special· movement was ~resently function weapon, the OFFENCES AGAINST THE ing ih the co0ntry, there can be STATE ACT. IF any body can lay no d~ubt thac it would hav~ la claim to the trade union heritage boured hard to give a political, of Connolly the I.T . A. can . We and therefore revolutionar y , ofi c er t a in l y take oF f our hats to the m, ent~tibn to the diverse forms bF and . are only sorry that we we r e. dissention that spranq ~P ih ~o not in a position, a~ an o~g many areas . Such a mov~ment would ani~ation, to give them our ACTIVE h~ve moved into Midleton t~ give SUPPORT. We can only hope _that le~dirship ~~d direction tb the ·the forces of revolutionary Ireland to~n's people in their battle will be in better array the next against the sale oF their town time a militant trade union takes From one Foreion landlord to an to the field . 3ut what did the other. it woufd have come tn the Republican Movement and its allies Fore in Limerick to ·lead the storm do" Llie ll, the heirs of . Arth oF protest against the unreason - ur Griffith gave the I.T . A.'s strug able rise in ren ts by the Corpor qle some coveraqe in the U.I.;al ation. A revolutionary mov~ment fhough they were-careful not to ~oul~ have committed its forces mention the fact that its origins t ci t'h e a s s i s t an c e oF t h e I . T . A . arose From a dispute with the reacti in its gallant Fight against both onary company union, the I . P . O,W . U. bogu~ irade unionism and govern Other than this, the Repu~lican mental tyranny. It would also Movement availed oF the I.T.A. have raised it~ voice i n support battle to grind its . own axe on the of the I~ish farmers, and would OFfences Against the State Act. have u sed its resources to direct Sinn Fain distributed a document the mass protest oF Farmers along to all Local Authority in the Free a wider course . A revolutionar y . State on the Act, and advised its mov ement would have done all of Cumann to ''contact members of these those thinqs; and while it is bodies . .. who you may t~ink would unlikel y fhat th i s, of itself, be well disposed towards us in this would have begun a revolution, it instance ... It may be a long time most certainly woul~ have contri before we get an opportunity like buted to the laying of abasis For this again." In a word : Sinn Fein ' s one at a future date. reaction to t he battle being Fought . 3UT WHAT HAPPENED? on the streets and in the cell s of _The so - called revolutionary body, Mountjoy by the members of the . the Republican rnovement, in- con I.T . A. , was an attempt to make junction with its tacit allies the political hay at the expense of Communist Party and the bourgeois others. When Irishmen mounted the Labour Patty, advised the people barricades to fight for their of ~1idleton to "protest" to the riohts , our brave Sinn Feiners , in government, and to "demand" that t h ~ t r ad i t ion of the i r pat r i arch, "the defacto government" buy the Arthur Criffith, mobilized their t o r.v n fro m the imp er i a l is t landlord. scribes to pass resolutions . The people were not "advised" to THE RE ARE THOS E WHO QUESTION OUR ·fight for their rights; they were call for o Revolutionary Movement not given the leadership to fight, in Ireland, by pointing to the although the y were in the mood for existence of the Republican Movs - 12 . Continue d on Page 16. PR I~~ F ·OI\J Rl VOLT R ol'.. • A BY
PART l. J E R. C 0 L L IN 5
INTRODUCTION ------rH(RE ARE l'flAi·.JY Ii'~ IRELAf,JO that situation we Republicans have who flippantly disrec;1ard theoreat been experiencing over the p~st need for a theoretical knowiedoe few decades; where a repetition of revolution, by sa ying that it of past errors has been the rule, is ACTION and not THEORY that is and where the last vest iges of our required. This sort of error is revolutionary herita0e have been one which cannot avoid producing cast aside by men who possess no dire consequences. identity whatsoever with revol u t i on . I t i s , p er ha p_s , t o o mu c h A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF to expect of the majorit y now in revolutionsry theory is indispen the ranks of organized Republican sible to the successful pursuance ism that they would change their of revolutionary action . A rev ways. Their political tomfoolery olutionary activist can no more has b~come too much a w~; of life cope with the ~any and diverse to the most of them. However, proble~s of revolution ~ithout there are always 1.!2£1. few whose revolutionar y theory, than can ah sincerit y keeps driving them on electrical engineer master his wards; they want answers; they ~p roblems without _a knowledqe of c~ave understanding . Eventua lly, electricity . The question is as these men and Luomen find them s elve s simple and straightforward as that. discarded by the movement because they re Fus 8 to become just another UNDER NORmAL CIRCU MSTAN CtS round peg to fit into the regulated men and ~omen endowed · with the compartments of accepted repub burninq desire to change the course lican thinkinq. It could well be of their country's history would t~at our app~~is For a return to teceive a revolutionar~ education the path of revolution will be when joining the ranks of a revol headed by those people, and that utionar y organization . In this they will join us in our struggl~ -manner a wide and thorough appre It may b~ that these arti~les on ciation on soci::d , political and re v olution will help to light the econom·ic problems ·,_ · their cause-s, way for their return to the fo l d . effects and solutions, would be acquired by them . THIS SERIES Of ARTICLES on revolu t iDfl have been undertaken 3UT THIS IS NCT THE with the hope that they will serve me t h o d o F I r i s h R e p u b l i c a n o r q an - in some small way to--int roduce the ization.s . There is no such thing ~und~mentals . of re ~ olut i onary as prcmoting an educational prog theory to our readers . They can ramme on revolutionary theciry in not hope to give all the answers; t_he ran ks ·o-r" ·Iri-s-h -R---e!:;lub-1 ican.i.s.m. but they should at least serve as As a consequenci, not alone are a stimulant to seek out those the rank .and file For the most answers . As a beginning the main part unable to participate know elements of revolution will be ledgeabl y 1n cne fdr
A VOICE FROM THE PA~T THE ARMY COU NCIL LF THE I .R. A. . .. ''CL.\JNERSHIP AND CmJTROL OF released early in 1935 a " f-'olitical industry are in the hands of ind and Economic Plan For the Republic ividuats and of companies whose of Ireland." This proqramme is, only objec t is to reap the high in mary ways, a~ ilLuminating est profits which can be extract document ; especially when its con ed, and who,naturally , while act tents aie compared to the present uat~d b y this object will strike programme oF the Republican Move to keep the workers in economic CI)ent. We will r.epublish this bondage." programme in .its ~ntirety at a "MOREOVER, li'JDUSTRI.£\L GRCANIZATI later date for t:he perusa-l .o f our on o·n such a ba.sis will , in time , readers, Ho wev:er, we · will now T~ad to more widespread un~mploy quote a feLU excerpts from t.he int rrient , poiTerry and hLJnget; as'-· is roduction,just to give an idea as the case · tod~:ly in every highly in- to the tenor of thi~ historic .. dust r ia l is·e·a· ·c aunt r y· wh icn'·· has document . reached t~e maximum of prodtitti~ capaclcy. Side by side with vast "THE RESOURCES AND LVEAL TH OF actual and potential Lue.alth and prcr the Nation: are very . largely in the d u c t. i v e c a p a c i t y, mi l l i on s a r e s t a r - possession and under the control l.'ing. Our prog ramme aims at elimin of those sect" ions who . a r e. host i le atinq these -evil s From Irish soci to fljational _F re,edoni·, and who have ety ,by the estabLishment of af!!Ore allied themset~es wi~h British just and saner economic and social Imperialism. The immediate task order . " is. to rescue from them ihe her ... "nl EI'fl3ERS OF THE IRISH itage _w hich they have robbed a~d Republican Army must acce~l the plundered from the mass of the responsibility which the orga ~is- people . The powerful inter~sts ation has shouldered and which which dominate I r ish life at pres history and traditio~ has imposed ent were bu~lt up on the basis of on it; lhat ~ lb£ leadership of the Conquest. the struoole for National Fr~~dom THE MACHINERY OF STATE WAS . and ~the B'COnom'ic ,Lib ~atiOfl devised and has been develop~d to · of the peOpTe . !iQ.f. .. cin.!_y_ must lli.Y_ serve these interests. The powers !2.£ l,ti.g · oroan ised'' and a:rmed ~ of this State machinemu~tJe ouard buE l.b..§.y inu st .. _§_lso supply smasiled. The machinery --or-state leade.rshfP al'ld g.!;l_i-dance in. dir'ect of the Republic of IrelancJwillbe ino the lhou~ .£f. . the .e..§..£ple de v i se d. .. t o s e r v 8 , n o t a '-Y p r i v - alol'lg construet1v.e reiJolutionary ileged sections, but t~e needs of lines," the whole people." · . . . " LA ND SE TT L.EIYiE NT CA NN 0 T ******************* be seriously tackled wh ile it pro ceeds on the lines of Land Acts THERE CAN BE LITTLE DOUBT and Land Bonds Acts . d~gt~ted by but tt'l PJ t the I ·.--R·. A. has s t: ray e d the landlords . The entire Land a hell of a long way fr.om the path Commission with its whols land trod by the men of the thirties; lord-created s ystem must be swept and Ireland is the worse off for a VJ a y . L a n d l o r d .i. s m h as ·i t s r o o t it . We Republicacis ·ciot rid of i n t h e · Co n q u R s t , a n d c on s e q u en t l y Sinn Fe in once; if the remnants of it must be abolishEd . As far as the present I . R. A. desi re to ret possible restitution must be dem url'l to the path of re iJ olution,they anded from the plunder.ers of Irish had better dO so again,or be lost s 0 i l. ,, forever to the Irish cause.
16 .